Sailrite sewing machine -I need pictures and help building a table

[Hermit Scott]

I cut out a recess so the machine sits IN the hole, but the edge still sits ON the table top. I am considering routing a groove around the edge so it sits flush with the table top, which by looking at pics it appears is how a machine is supposed to sit.

When you have a sewing table, and you need to oil the underside of the machine, do you get under the table or pull the machine out and set it on a table?

There are two holes in the back of the machine that appear to be for mounting it to a table. I think it is to keep it from sliding around in its little cut out, or possibly to help with vibration. Can someone please take a picture of what the locking mechanism looks like? One of the pictures below shows a close up of this hole on the back of the machine.

I uploaded some of the wrong pics, I don't know how to delete them. The most important pic is the one showing the cloth being sewn and the little mounting hole on the back of the machine.

 

[Ross]

I have three machines. My pfaff has oil holes on the main frame, my Singer and my Sears are hinged to the table and tilt for oiling.
Rout the table to set the base flush with the table surface.

 

[Bill Murray]

I agree -- I will be home in a week and will take pics of mine and post for you...

 

[Sumner]

Above is the table I made for Ruth's machine. It keeps the stock base so that it can come out and the lid still fits on it to cover the machine while in the table. The machine should just tilt for oiling and such.

I also made a three legged...

....table that just pins to the other one with nails and....

...wraps around the other one. They separate in just a few seconds.....

....by pulling the nails out.

I also made the large....

...work table for her. The top comes off and the legs/sides fold in and it stores flat against a wall.

There are more pictures here............

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor-canvas/canvas-8.html

One other thing I did was modify the foot control. We felt it didn't give the slow feed that we expected and was touchy to go slow. I made a box for it with another pedal that really gives you a lot better control of the speed. With it you can go along at a stitch by stitch speed and stop on any stitch. Not much to it. If you are interested I could post pictures.

Good luck,

Sum

Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID

Our Mac Pages

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[Hermit Scott]

I routed it to sit flush.
sumner-I didn't buy the case with it. It was $200 cheaper than sailrites price with a case. I will make a case later before I transport it anywhere. I made templates for the router holes, that was the majority of the work for the holes. Routing it out only takes a couple of minutes.

I found the hinged parts on ebay. I guess the machine lays back onto the motor, and that is why the motor has a flat place on it? I'll get the kind that come out easy so I can move it to the case with out too much ado.

I was going to add a pedal like you did( to make it more incremental) but I built the base of the table before I had the machine. I will add it after I practice with it a little and see where would be the most comfortable place for it.

Please post some pics of the pedal mechanism you made.

 

[Ross]

Sumner, very nice work.

 

[Sumner]

..........Please post some pics of the pedal mechanism you made.

Ok I just took some and put a page up describing it. It is crude and simple, yet works way better than the stand alone stock pedal. There is more here.....

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor-canvas/canvas-14.html

..... Make one like it and you will be glad that you did. With it you can easily sew one stitch at a time. Great for intricate work like this....

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor-canvas/canvas-12.html

Ross thanks for the compliment, Ruth is happy ,

Sum

Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID

Our Mac Pages

Mac-Venture Links

 

[Hermit Scott]

Excellent. I will probably make one of those pedal boxes instead of having something mounted to the table.

It looks like you opted for the heavier flywheel also. Is there a big difference over the stock?
Also that plastic guard that goes over the pulleys on the right side, I guess you have to take it off to be able to hand spin the wheel? Kinda like the guards on a table saw, they look safe and probably help with liability for the company but aren't very convenient.

I like your web pages. You are a smart and practical guy.

 

[Sumner]

.It looks like you opted for the heavier flywheel also. Is there a big difference over the stock?
Also that plastic guard that goes over the pulleys on the right side, I guess you have to take it off to be able to hand spin the wheel? ....

We have never used the stock flywheel, so don't know what difference there is there.

To move the needle and walking foot by hand just grab and use the flywheel. We aren't sure what you are referring to about the plastic guard.

There is a knob in the flywheel that you pull out to disengage the flywheel to run the machine to fill a bobbin and not have the needle going up and down. Is that what you are talking about.

Glad you like the web pages,

Sum & Ruth

Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID

Our Mac Pages

Mac-Venture Links

 

[Hermit Scott]

We have never used the stock flywheel, so don't know what difference there is there.

To move the needle and walking foot by hand just grab and use the flywheel. We aren't sure what you are referring to about the plastic guard.

There is a knob in the flywheel that you pull out to disengage the flywheel to run the machine to fill a bobbin and not have the needle going up and down. Is that what you are talking about.

Glad you like the web pages,

Sum & Ruth

Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID

Our Mac Pages

Mac-Venture Links

That's the plastic guard that was on there. Also if you notice the difference in size of the wheel on your machine and my machine.

 

[Sumner]

That's the plastic guard that was on there. Also if you notice the difference in size of the wheel on your machine and my machine.

We have a guard down below and behind the wheel that covers the belt and the pulley on the end of the motor and it might be the same or similar to that one, but it doesn't interfer with turning the wheel by hand.

We got our machine this last spring. Is yours new? You did a nice job on the table:dance:.

You will like the machine,

Sum

Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID

Our Mac Pages

Mac-Venture Links

 

[Hermit Scott]

I just got the machine yesterday. I build fitness equipment, I had all the material in the shop already for the table. Thank you.
I went to the upholstery shop today and bought supplies. Unbelievably in a giant warehouse full of upholstery supplies and fabric, they don't carry metal bobbins!

 

[RichH]

Hermit ---
A suggestion if you want to make sails with this machine.

Make the table so that you can also have the MINIMUM HEIGHT of the sewing machine to the FLOOR. The best is to have your BUTTUS 'on' the floor, the machine as LOW AS POSSIBLE to the floor .... so that you can easily slide a rolled up sail across the sewing machine with 'as little drag as possible'.
With a full height table, the rolled-up sail will inevitably 'kink' and that will cause some 'interesting' sewing errors. Keep the sewing machine ON the floor or AS LOW TO THE FLOOR as possible when sewing sails!

For sewing 'small stuff' you can (more comfortably) sew from a standard 'seated' position.

So therefore, I make the suggestion for 2 sets of 'legs' for your table: 1. one set for sewing sails and other LARGE work, and 2. one set of legs for 'small stuff' when seated.
Without 'very short legs' and sewing 'large rolled-up sails' while 'seated' you really need a very large 'lofting table' on both sides of the machine so the fabric can easily 'slide' across the machine, that lofting table 'equal in height' from the floor to the sewing machine and equal in length (from the machine) to the foot dimension of the largest sail you intend to make .... and one table on EACH side of the machine.

If I ever build a new house, it will definitely have a 'pit in the floor' so that I can sit IN the pit and slide the sail along the floor and with the sewing machine at the SAME level as the floor!

hope this helps.

;-)

 

[Bob S]

RichH,

I want to know if you fabricated that spinnaker?
Beautiful aviator .

Nice work Hermit and Sum. Very creative!

 

[RichH]

BobS -
Yup I did it.
I had Sailrite do the standard laser cutting of the individual panels ... much faster and more accurate than I can loft 'by hand'.
For the 'artwork', I computer projected the eagle onto the side of a barn to 'full size' and over the sailrite individually cut panels which I 'cut out' to fit the image of the Eagle. I wanted the 'majority' of the eagle to be 'actual' ripstop panels not painted nor 'overlaid', etc. - for strength and for 'color' for viewing from 'both sides'. The panels were adjusted (black cut INTO white) and the panels sewn. The 'details' of the eagle were 'applique' of black ripstop onto the sewn panels. The eagle is approximately 24 feet 'across'.

Spinnaker is 3/4oz., 170%LP and is over 1700 sq. ft. It was featured on the Sailrite 'project section' website for several years.

Spinnakers are an 'easy' sail to DIY.

 

[Ross]

I once saw a sail sewing loft with a hole in the floor for the sewing machine operator to sit in. The entire floor was used as a table.

 

[Hermit Scott]

I made this case last night to make it transportable. Can I sit this on the floor. Making another set of legs for that table would be VERY difficult. Well, very inconvenient anyway. Do I need to have feed ramps to make it 'flush' with the floor?

 

[RichH]

Do I need to have feed ramps to make it 'flush' with the floor?

Not really but you'll want the 'approach angles' of the rolled up sail fabric to be a 'low as possible' or near 'zero' angle as possible.

 

[Hermit Scott]

I tore both my head sails and couldn't use either one of them. On one the tension cord snagged on the spreader and 4' got ripped out. The other has a tear in the middle of a panel near the clew. I need some sail material and then I will post pics to get some help with the repair.
I am so glad I didn't get a brand new shiny boat to learn with. I would have been really sad when I ground off the gelcoat with an anchor chain, or ripped out a cleat from improperly tying up the boat, or tore the main sail, and the two head sails or snapped the backstay and almost lost the rig. Learning experiences indeed.

 

[Hermit Scott]

Is tarted sewing up harnesses for the fitness equipment biz today. I bought some thread to fix the sails. It is [polyester"sungaurd" UVR bonded B92]. Is this the proper thread for sails?